Forgiveness is true freedom; most people define forgiveness through forgiving a person and/or their behavior. However there is so much more to forgiveness in order to find inner peace and have the ability to love once more. When you look deep into yourself and have the ability to forgive someone in this way, to be able to forgive yourself, you become less of a victim and you can open up your heart to someone else.

Anger is one of the phases of the grieving process. It is natural to become angry when you have lost something or someone which you truly loved. Anger in itself provides us with a way of becoming the victim and allows us not to have to take responsibility for our mistakes. In order to grow as a person we must learn how to take responsibility for our mistakes, learn from them and press on...

Anger takes up so much energy that could be better used in other ways. When you hold on to anger it takes up certain portions of your heart. When these portions of your heart are filled with anger you can not completely open your heart and love yourself, much less someone else. One way to help let go of that anger is through forgiveness. You must learn to forgive yourself first before you can forgive others.

True forgiveness is to be able to understand that there is some light in each person’s soul, including your own. When you can find that flicker of light despite all that has been said and done, you can find true forgiveness and there becomes a sense of peace in your own soul that brightens you up both inside and out, despite the darkness. It sometimes even evokes a sense of pity for the other person.

We can not change others, we can not change their behavior. The only person we can change is ourselves. When we forgive it does not matter how much darkness fills their soul and attempts to hide their light because our own light shines bright enough and opens up those portions of your heart that had previously been full of anger. Additionally, to be able to see that light in others despite all the evils is very liberating…in a sense, a right of passage…I choose to shine! Do you?